I wonder if the OP ever started testing custom switches. Did I scare him off?
You did not it just took me a bit to decided what keyboards I wanted. I missed all the sales and I waffled over a few higher end options, Monsgeek M3, Scarlet TKL, MCK75 I saw on here, which I think I like the most of those three. I decided that I didn't really want to spend all of that right now and also I kinda prefer plastic keyboards I think. I do think I may still order a MCL75 at some point but we will see.
Not sure what other switches I want to try right now. Maybe UT4s? Something really tactile to see the difference.
Here is my issue though, I cant seem to find reasonable reviews on switches, or keyboards for that matter really, and there are so many options out there its a bit overwhelming.
I've watched so many switch reviews that talk about the sound and how "thocky" a switch or keyboard is <---I hate that word at this point by the way, but nothing on how they feel to type on, how heavy or not they are how big id the bump etc all of the you know all of the actual relevant information on why you would or would not want to use a switch. I get this switch is so smooth and thocky them 3 minutes of a sound test. Shoot me now. So this is my current impass.
I dont know Ill stop taking now that was sort of a long thing.
It looks like you've been doing your due diligence!
I'm glad you like the Blueberry Chiffons. I have an NCR-80 full of them, and it works fine (except for the occasional squeak). They really are larger than Browns and maybe even Clears, though, so it's amusing that they are marketed as a 'better Brown' "light-tactile."
I have disassembled some recently to try them in OUTEMU housings. And the stems on Blueberry Chiffons are actually huge! They are the wide boxy stems and have long-poles, of course. It really is a good example of a long-pole light/medium tactile, as it gives somewhat different characteristics than a regular stem.*
I agree that metal is not necessarily the best material for a keyboard. One of my best ones is a steel-framed keyboard, but in general plastic is a better material. It has better acoustics, durability, ease-of-maintenance, and is cheaper. What's not to like? Seriously, though, most of the "classic" keyboards used plastic heavily. It is ironically the correct "retro" material, and can really enhance sound if used correctly.
[Aluminium and Carbon-Fibre are really the crazy ultra-modern materials here for keyboards, as well as the even more esoteric acrylic and printed-materials.]
Interesting situation you presented with the Keychron vs. Leopold. The Leopold actually has what are even today considered premium keycaps, being thick PBT double-shots. They are almost Cherry-profile. (I think they are some weird proprietary variant like SS2 or something, but they are very close to Cherry.)
The Leopold keyboards are well-designed and well-engineered to start with, so even something like a lower-end Keychron V-series will have difficulty competing with them. The true strength of the Keychron there is its customizability.
The 'floating' keyboards like the GMMK you mention were a fad for a while, like 2016-2019, probably influenced by 'gaming' keyboards. No, they don't have any depth for keycaps to sit in, and the open space may invite dirt.
If the Keychron isn't doing it for you, you may wish to return it while you can. Keyboard angles and bezels are something you can't really control, and if you don't like it, you don't like it. There are plenty of options to choose from these days.
South-facing PCBs are better for you. If you like Cherry-profile keycaps, you might notice the interference caused by north-facing PCBs.
If major manufacturers like Ducky or Varmilo are releasing hotswap keyboards, you might want to get one of those. Sometimes they release something like that. Those keyboards would be 'normally-proportioned' and relatively standard. Varmilo uses south-facing lighting, at least last time I checked.
A custom keyboard you may wish to consider is the IKKI68 Aurora. It is relatively easy to assemble, and you can purchase a hotswap version that doesn't require soldering, I think. There is another GB for it now. It's basically a cut-down TKL, even though you may prefer larger. It just needs a keycap set with support for 68% - 70% layout.
I get you on not wanting to buy expensive keycaps. There are some cheap copies of "Pyga" semi-transparent keycaps on AliExpress that cost like $30 CAD, shipped. With support for some alternative layouts. The AF SA high-profile go for about $52 CAD during sales, and the AKKO ASA profile are similar in price.
There's a new profile called CX SA, a lower SA-profile that may go for as little as $20 USD before shipping. And the Maxxkey SA isn't that expensive either.
For more Cherry-profile, you can get JC Studio on AliExpress for $47 CAD shipped. That's a TKL set of beige + cream plus some design. And Shenpo PBT may go as low as $39. They're all fine for custom keyboards and regular ones too.
There's no reason to spend a lot of money on keycaps anymore, if you don't want to.
(Also, you can try XDA and stuff but will probably just go back to Cherry. Your gut is telling you the truth. Deviating from Cherry-profile will cost you money in the long-run. I bought a cheap XDAA clone set called "Matcha," I think it was MDA profile or something.
It was beautifully-made and had a nice surface-texture, but I just don't type on that profile. I could get used to it, but would prefer to stick with low-profile cylindricals.)
As for switches, the keyboard world has been moving too fast in the past 5 + years for anyone to successfully catalog all of them. You can look up Theremingoat's reviews, he is the most prolific. And as I may have said earlier, Switchbox Studio's reviews of switches like POM Browns will also tell you about other tactiles.
Here is Theremingoat:
https://www.theremingoat.com/Here is Switchbox Studio:
https://switchbox.studio/akko-pom-browns/But yeah, it's a lot of searching to find out about switches, so forget that. It's probably faster and better to just check out some 'archetypes' of common switches, since there aren't that many core designs.
For heavy-tactiles, the archetype is "Holy Panda," of which there are many variants. U4T is kind of like Holy Panda, but uses the more stable Boba housing. So yeah, just buy some U4T to check them out.
Maybe go here and pick out some switches:
https://switchoddities.com/I have done something like this twice, and it really helps. It's much cheaper to order a few individual switches.
Some popular / interesting tactiles other than U4T: Gateron Root Beer Float, Gateron Kangaroo, JWICK T1 V2, AKKO Cream Blue Pro V3.
You know, it's really about what you want at this point, since there are so many to choose from.
JWICK T1 V2 are so cheap during AliExpress sales that you could pick up 10-30 for pocket change, along with 30 - 90 MMD Princess for pocket change. The AKKOs get cheap during sales too.**
In terms of light-tactiles, I'm surprised to say that Gateron G Pro Brown V3 are finally decent. They were on sale for $10 CAD / 30 or $20 CAD for 90, which is hilariously cheap. They are actually usable out-of-box, no lubing or anything required.
And Gateron CAP switches are interesting, as they aren't Cherry designs. Look for the CAP Milky Brown V2 or 3. They are light, factory Ergo Clears. Go cheaper during AliExpress sales.
So AliExpress gives you a lot to try from what I just listed from T1s down to those CAP Browns.
But you seem like a more sophisticated typist, and they don't offer everything. I think the switches you should focus on from places like Switch Oddities are: Gateron Root Beer Float and Kangaroo / Baby Kangaroo, Zealio V2 (if you're just buying one), Gateron Holy Panda X or any Holy Panda, Durock Light Tactile, Durock Medium Tactile, Durock / JWK Smoky T1, Neapolitan (said to be very tactile), a Zeal Clickiez switch set to tactile, and especially the TTC Bluish White or Silent Bluish White. Which is a medium-tactile, but a bit different.
A tactile I find enjoyable is the JWICK and Chosfox Voyager, which resembles somewhat a "Holy Boba." They are like .70 cents a switch on AliExpress, but go a bit lower during sales. BTW if you can try a real Holy Boba, do so. They are a Holy Panda [Halo] stem in a Boba housing.
Also, when ordering from Switch Oddities and the like, make sure to order some SP Star tactiles like Polaris Purple or Nana, and SP Star Magic Girl. Cheap enough, if you are ordering one switch. The so-called "Lilac tactile" is also nice, whomever makes it. So try to order all those 'oddities' at once somewhere.
BTW the big Gateron switch testers you can order from AliExpress aren't too bad. You get to try Zealio V1, V2, CAP Browns, normal Browns, a bunch of linears. But Switch Oddities lets you choose exactly what you want.
So that sounds like a lot, but it's really about ordering like 10 switches from Switch Oddities.
The keyboard and switch reviews on Youtube are questionable, since you won't be able to reproduce that sound exactly. And they are not necessarily looking for the same sound as you are.
Reddit is mostly about pictures, but I find that there's a couple of forums where the discussion is a bit more involved:
https://www.reddit.com/r/BudgetKeebs/Try the above place. You could post a relevant photo of what you are working on and ask a question. It's more about building and saving money than other places.
(Make sure to read the rules first, as I don't know what they are.)
KeebTalk is also a discussion-focused place for keyboard customization.
*In general, long-pole switches are louder because the pole strikes the housing. So it's probably best to avoid them in the future if you are looking for lower noise.
**There's a new cheap tactile called Molly, manufactured by JWICK, that's worth trying. It's probably a Durock Light or Medium tactile or something, but it can be ordered from affordable China-based retailers. It's pre-lubed and such so you don't have to do anything.